MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

Railroad vegetation control around the tracks has always been a difficult but essential task. Vegetation can pose dangers not only by limiting visibility but also by causing slippage when it gets on the tracks, holding in moisture that speeds deterioration of railroad equipment, and posing a fire hazard. Early on, railroads employed manual labor--men with sickles and saws--to do the backbreaking work. From there the railroads tried several other methods, including the risky move of burning the vegetation out. However, the real breakthrough came in the 1950s-60s when new spraying technology allowed the railroads a much more efficient means of controlling the weeds around their tracks. Although the herbicides used are often hazardous, they prove, with the proper precautions mandated by law, to be the safest and most effective method to date. Some railroads contracted out their weed spraying chores, while others, like Union Pacific, built their own cars especially to handle the important job. M.T.H. continues its commitment to offer model railroaders the wide variety of equipment necessary to make your layouts realistic. Add a touch of authenticity to your railroad with this essential piece of maintenance of way equipment. This self-powered 3-car Weedsprayer Set includes the sprayer itself and two tank cars with hazardous materials warnings and comes complete with the list of features shown